Advanced Poisons, A Primer for the Afflicted
by snapify52
Summary: A dark potion wreaks chaos in Hermione Granger's already dangerous life. This story is a work in progress. Current stage: Drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: This is a work of fanfiction. This work contains some content intended for mature readers.

**Author's Note:** This is a work in progress currently consisting of drabbles and is being edited for FF. You may consider the drabbles/chapters to be teasers for longer chapters ahead, but they will be slowly filled in over time, sometimes after other chapters are added. Thoughts, reviews, wagers, etc. are welcome, but be aware that everything will likely change up until the point this story is marked "complete."

**Chapter 1**

...

Sixth year. Harry had been traipsing about with Prof. Dumbledore on some sort of secret business over the holidays. Hermione found herself studying for her apparition license as she would turn seventeen in September, one of the late cutoffs for the school year start. More than looking forward to having her apparition license, Hermione Granger had some small amount of apprehension for this birthday as it marked her legal entrance into adulthood in the wizarding world. She wondered what her adult life would be like, aside from battling evil half-snake half-wizards hell-bent on world domination and the destruction of muggleborn wizards and witches like herself. She had also been a neat hand at fire spells, although she hadn't a clue what use that could be. However, she still had two more years of schooling ahead of her, plenty of time to find her future place in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was a terrible spell really. The potion was even worse.

"But that's - that's simply - medieval!" She found herself sputtering in her Head of House's office, McGonagall's china depicting an 18th century hunting scene in red with gold leaf and filled with steaming tea and cut with cream.

"Hermione Granger," her potions Master began again, slowly but if possible with more vehemence than before, "maybe your head of house did not properly educate you on certain things a young witch should know about the importance of her - magical development..."

Hermione saw red; her pulse became a beating tide within her. It was perverse and it was so wrong. IF the plan worked, they would be no better than they were before and if it failed, if they failed and the potion succeeded, Voldemort would be much stronger. Calm yourself, Granger. _Think_. It wasn't any of their business and she wasn't going to go through with it. Maybe she could bore them with research the way she often distracted Harry and Ronald.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A loud pop permeated the air as stinging little tea-colored snowflakes rained down upon them. Hermione stared at her potions professor. A creamy snowflake landed in his eyelashes, but he ignored it for the sake of the incredibly deadly stare he was focusing at her. His eyes, as dark as ever and surrounded by those long lashes. Her heart continued to thunder in her chest, achingly, but it gradually slowed. She felt luminous, pulsing, and he felt... thrumming, electric, somehow. Magic.

The snowflake on his lashes melted and he blinked.

Hermione noticed how very tired he looked, his broad shoulders drooping, his hair showing all of it's usual signs of neglect, but his imperturbable face was creased and rugged and she thought she might be able to even detect a bit of stubble on his normally immaculate face. Hermione told herself she would not think about Severus Snape's stubble, or worry about the stresses of his life as a teacher and a spy for the Order... No, down that path lay madness.

She closed her eyes a few seconds to clear her head. When she opened them she saw what looked like a popped balloon with the imprint of McGonagall's china. Her transfiguration professor was vanishing the falling snowflakes.

"Well, then," McGonagall announced when the snowflakes had dissipated. She flicked her wand and the popped balloon snapped itself back into becoming her teacup once again. "I understand that this subject has raised emotions, however, the two of you have shown a distinct lack of understanding. Miss Granger, you will report to my office at 7pm tonight. Furthermore, you will be taking remedial potions with Professor Dumbledore and myself for the next three weeks or until such a time as you may join Professor Snape's class with the respect due your relationship as instructor and pupil. The same goes for you, Severus," she added with a growl. "Miss Granger you are dismissed. If you neglect our appointment tonight it will be detention for a week."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

...

Detention. Night one.

Hermione cast the wrinkle-releasing charm the Parvati twins had taught her on her robes. She was nervous for detention with McGonagall and she hoped to allay some of her fears by arriving early.

Her shoes were polished to a bright shine. Her hair pulled back and charmed in place. Her wand holstered to her right forearm. "Snick!" Wand in hand. "Shnook!" Wand in sheath. "Snick!" Wand in hand. "Shnook!" Wand in sheath.

Her modified _lumos_ softly illuminated the corridor around her.

...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

...

The first day back in class was the hardest. She couldn't get over the conversation with Snape at headquarters. Memories of him ran through her mind. "I can teach you to brew fame, bottle glory, even... put a stopper in death." The dueling club where he had demonstrated why the staff held his casting in such esteem in spite of his derisive snorts about "silly wand waving" and the day in which he had humiliated lockhart. Although she had had eyes for the foppish Defense teaher, upon recollection, Severus Snape had cut an attractive figure, radiating power and insouciance at once.

Professor Snape startled her out of her woolgathering and the rest of the class from their conversations as he slammed the door closed behind him. "Draught of Living Death. Instructions are on the board."

He was fighting for their lives and he was terrified. Severus Snape, the bravest man she'd ever known. The man who put himself between her and a werewolf. The man who wrestled Fluffy and Devil's Snare to rescue Harry, Ron and herself in their first year. The man who had withstood her mother throwing her best teapot at his head when he'd said her daughter was a witch and then had the grace to repair it with a couple swishes of his wand before he left with the Muggle Family for Diagon Alley.

..

She laid out each ingredient lovingly at her workstation. Aconite, ashwinder eggs, Heliotrope root. She took her mortar and pestle and began to grind the squid teeth in a soothing, rocking rhythm. Severus Snape's eyes are black, she thought, catching a glimpse of him just to check. Black or brown? Severus Snape has calloused fingers covered in little scars and burns. She dragged the pestle across the powdered teeth, watching the fine flour fall back into the path she traced. Severus Snape has a large, hooked nose. She pulled out a piece of smooth, clean parchment from her potions kit. Severus Snape has strong hands. She dumped the powder onto the parchment and stole a glance at her professor as she corralled the fine grains into a neat package. Professor Snape seemed to be ignoring her. In the absence of the war, of that terrible potion, of being a pupil in his potions class, if it were only Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, what might happen? Maybe they'd meet for fish and chips and he'd tease her about preferring bitter to butterbear. Maybe they'd fumble around in the back of of a pub or maybe they'd conspire to make the most of some stupid magical book club Molly had guilt-tripped them into attending. Maybe one of their arguments would get a little heated one night and they'd end up in each other's arms, his strong hands tangled in her hair, feeling the arch of his nose rubbing runes on the apples of her cheeks, her forehead while she twisted her face at any and every angle should could reach to nibble on his lips and feel his tongue tasting hers -

"Miss Granger!" He roared.

She blinked, and blushed realizing Professor Snape had been staring straight at her while she daydreamed, she noticed that she'd prepared her ingredients correctly conscious of her actions or not-

"Miss Granger! You will prepare for our next class together a five foot essay on the benefits and practice of _Occlumency!_"

He lowered his voice to a menacing hiss, "Please be sure to cite the standard references but do not waste my time with summarizing works with which I am, no doubt, already excruciatingly familiar."

...


End file.
